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Transport and Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar has suggested another Gathering could be possible within the next 10 years.
"The Gathering, we always said, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think it would be wrong to repeat it too soon, but it will maybe happen again in seven or 10 years' time," he said.
Speaking at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Dublin, the minister confirmed that the year-long event cost Irish tax payers €13 million over the last two years, and while no figures yet exist on how much revenue has been created, Varadkar has said the return will be a "multiple" of the cost.
The first eight months of 2013, Ireland saw an extra 291,000 visitors compared to last year, with visitors from the U.S. up by 16.5% and overall visitor numbers up by 6.5%, the Irish Mirror reports.
Here are some highlights of the success of the Gathering Ireland 2013:
Almost 5,000 Gatherings organised in 2013, of those
· 29% Family/Clan
· 26% Community
· 10% Culture
· 9% Corporate
· 7% Sports/Outdoor
· 6% Heritage/Tracing your roots
· 5% School/College/Friend
· 4% Agri/Food Drink
· 3% Special interest/Hobby
· 1% Education
Delivering the targets, January – August 2013
· 6.5% = 291,000 more visitors than same period, 2012
· Visitors from North America up 16.5%
· Mainland Europe up 4.8%
· Great Britain up 3.7%
· Rest of World up 11.30%
What the industry say -
· 6 out of 10 hotel owners report increased business as a result of the Gathering
· The Gathering was a "huge factor in increase in business


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Men's Wearhouse sweetened its offer for rival Jos. A. Bank on Monday to $1.61 billion. Here's a look at how the two men's clothing companies stack up:
Men's Wearhouse:
Founded: 1973
Based in: Houston, Texas
Stores: 1,143 retail stores
Clothing: Men's Wearhouse sells men's sportswear and suits through its Men's Wearhouse, Moores and K&G retail chains. It is also one of the biggest tuxedo-rental companies. Recently, it's been going after younger shoppers with suits with slimmer silhouettes. It's also trying to raise the average ticket price and announced in July that it's buying upscale Joseph Abboud brand for about $97.5 million in cash.
Market cap: $2.47 billion
Jos. A. Bank:
Founded: 1982
Based in: Hampstead, Md.
Stores: 602 retail stores
Clothing: Jos. A. Bank sells men's tailored and casual clothing, sportswear and footwear and operates 623 stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia. While it gears to a more established male professional, it's known for generous promotions like buying one suit or sport coat and getting three for free.
2012 net revenue: $1.05 billion
Market cap: $1.59 billion

subset: commoncrawl


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2019 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S Black Cloth. 40/30 Highway/City MPG Driver Assistance Package (Blind Spot Monitor w/Rear Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Warning, and Heated Side Mirrors), Black Cloth, 4 Speakers, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, ABS brakes, Air Conditioning, Alloy wheels, AM/FM radio, Brake assist, Bumpers: body-color, Cloth Seat Trim, Delay-off headlights, Driver door bin, Driver vanity mirror, Dual front impact airbags, Dual front side impact airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Exterior Parking Camera Rear, Front anti-roll bar, Front Bucket Seats, Front Center Armrest, Front Comfort Seats, Front wheel independent suspension, Fully automatic headlights, Heavy Duty Trunk Liner w/VW CarGo Blocks, Illuminated entry, Low tire pressure warning, Monster Mats w/Logo Rubber Mats Kit (Set of 4), Occupant sensing airbag, Outside temperature display, Overhead airbag, Panic alarm, Passenger door bin, Passenger vanity mirror, Power door mirrors, Power steering, Power windows, Radio data system, Radio: Composition Color w/6.5'' Touchscreen, Rear anti-roll bar, Rear reading lights, Rear window defroster, Remote keyless entry, Roadside Assistance Kit, Speed control, Speed-sensing steering, Split folding rear seat, Steering wheel mounted audio controls, Tachometer, Telescoping steering wheel, Tilt steering wheel, Traction control, Trip computer, and Variably intermittent wipers. One of the biggest reasons that residents in the Westborough area continue to turn to us, rather than some of the other dealerships in the area is that we offer up one of the widest selections of vehicles available. We look forward to getting to know you, and to building a relationship that is sure to last for years to come. Price includes destination and all available dealer discounts; not applicable to special rate financing or lease programs. Tax, title, licensing and dealer fees extra. Must take delivery from dealer stock. Total discounts and incentives may require financing or leasing to qualify. Additional Offers: $500 - College Grad Program. Exp. 01/02/2019
Type | New | Mileage | 10 |
Price | $21,010 | VIN | 3VWC57BU7KM065173 |
Ext Color | Black Uni | Stock # | 190095 |
Engine | 4 Cylinder Engine | Certified | |
Transmission | 8-speed AT |


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It is one of the most successful Web services ever created: Hotmail, the Web-based email solution that Microsoft purchased in late 1997, now serves over 280 million active users, and the fact that it's lasted as long as it has on its creaky original foundations is nothing short of miraculous. But this week, for the first time ever, Hotmail is being significantly upgraded with new underpinnings that Microsoft hopes will last another decade. Now rebranded as Windows Live Hotmail after a short time during which Microsoft planned to rename the service as Windows Live Mail, this new Hotmail version is poised to deliver where other Windows Live services, thus far, have fallen short.
Indeed, Hotmail is different from other Windows Live services in many ways. In contrast with the rapid-fire release schedule of other Windows Live services, Microsoft really took it's time with this new Hotmail version, which was completely rearchitected from the ground up to meet the needs of today's users. The company started working on this revision years ago, and it first entered external beta back in mid-2005. Eventually, the pool of people testing the service grew to over 20 million, a considerable sum for a free online service. During that time, of course, Microsoft switched gears on its plans for the Internet. Hotmail, like many of the products and services that had previously come out of MSN, was switched over to the new Windows Live initiative. (For more information about this, please refer to my articles, MSN: The Inside Story and Windows Live Preview.) Given its popularity, Hotmail had always been strategic to Microsoft, of course. But with this move from MSN to the Windows Live umbrella came a new level of responsibility. Hotmail had to integrate better with Windows and other strategic Microsoft products in addition to being a first-class email solution.
The result, predictably, is exactly what Microsoft was looking for: Windows Live Hotmail is a modern and mature Web mail service. It offers desktop application-like capabilities through its Web interface. It features excellent Windows and Windows Mobile integration hooks. And it will be augmented down the road with a full-featured desktop email client that finally unifies the mess Microsoft created with Outlook Express and Windows Mail. And if you're an Outlook or Windows Mobile smart phone user, fear not: I've got some very good news for you too.
Hotmail's place in the Windows Live ecosystem
Though Hotmail was original conceived as a standalone email solution, Microsoft has of course integrated it thoroughly into a more or less cohesive set of services that's now called Windows Live. These services can be broken down into three basic groups. There's the so-called "connected" experiences, such as Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger (see my review), and Windows Live Spaces (see my review), which are the services through which you, the user, connects with other individuals, including friends, coworkers, and family members. Other parts of Windows Live include the "informed" experiences--Windows Live Search (see my review of its predecessor, MSN Search), Windows Live Expo (online shopping), and the Live.com Web portal--and the "protected" experiences, such as Windows Live OneCare (see my review), Family Safety (Web filtering for kids), and Safety Center (an online security scanner). And while this may sound like a lot of services, check out the Windows Live Ideas Web site for a longer list of what Microsoft's working on at the moment. It's pretty impressive.
It's also worth noting that even Windows Live itself is just part of a larger whole. Existing at the same logical level as the entire Windows Live set of services are other Microsoft online services like Xbox Live (see my review), and Office Live (see my preview), as well as various MSN services (like the MSN.com portal and MSN Soapbox). Below each of these services are common lower-level services and core infrastructure. This is technology like integrated contacts, identity, storage, billing, datacenter operations, presence, advertising, and search. Say what you will about Microsoft's apparent struggles online, but the company has built up a pretty effective platform here. And it's growing all the time.
With over 280 million active users, Hotmail is the gateway to Microsoft's vast set of online services. It is the reason so many people have signed up for Passport (now called Windows Live ID) accounts. Microsoft refers to Hotmail as the "glue" of the Windows Live and MSN networks, because so many customers use Hotmail's Web interface as a jumping off point to explore and use other Windows Live and MSN services. Statistically, this makes sense: In that connected experiences category I previously mentioned, 50 percent of usage is related to email. And these connected services represent about 30 percent of the time, overall, that typical users spend online. For hundreds of millions of people worldwide, then, Hotmail is a big part of what it means to be online, connected, and communicating with other people.
Of course, Hotmail also accommodates the various ways and places in which people now want to access email. That is, many people now want to access email constantly, whether they're at work, at home, or, with a new generation of mobile devices, on the go. And Microsoft has Hotmail-based solutions for all of these scenarios. Home users can, of course, access the Web-based Hotmail service--what we're focusing on here in this review--or access Hotmail through Outlook 2003 and 2007 (see below for details) or the upcoming Windows Live Mail client. (Again, see below; this client was previous called Windows Live Mail Desktop: See my beta screenshot gallery.) At work or school, users can again access Web-based Hotmail, or access their institutional email, hosted by Windows Live Hotmail, via the Web or Outlook 2003/2007. For those on the go and preferably using a Windows Mobile-based device like my Motorola Q smart phone, you have new options as well: Web-based Hotmail, yes, but also Windows Live for Mobile (see below).
New features in Windows Live Hotmail
As the stickiest service in the Windows Live ecosystem, the new version of Windows Live Hotmail benefits greatly from the service's popularity. Because Hotmail drives so many people to other Windows Live products and services, some functionality that previously required a paid subscription is now free to all Hotmail users. And Microsoft has made the advertising stuff that does appear in the Web mail interface less obtrusive, especially if you're a paying customer. (See below for information about the paid version of Windows Live Hotmail, called Windows Live Hotmail Plus.) "This is a win-win for advertisers and consumers," Microsoft group product manager Brooke Richardson told me in a recent briefing. "We can still monetize Hotmail but do it in a way that is additive or will at least not get in the way of the core email experience."
And what about that core email experience? You won't be surprised, I imagine, to discover that it's changed for the better in this major revision. Here are the features that I think are most important in the new Windows Live Hotmail.
From a look and feel perspective, Windows Live Hotmail closely resembles a desktop email application like Outlook (Figure). There's a toolbar at the top, with all the expected options, such as New, Reply, Forward, Delete, Check Mail, and so on. And then there's an Outlook-like three-pane view, with a folder list, email list, and reading pane displayed horizontally as you move your eye from left to right across the page. This default view is the so-called "full" view, and it's what you'll see if you start a new Hotmail account on or after May 7, 2007. But Microsoft heard from testers that this new full view was a bit too different from the traditional Hotmail look and feel. So they're also offering a "classic" view that looks more like the old Hotmail (Figure). It's sort of a half-way house between MSN Hotmail and the new full view. And as an added side bonus, it's not a bad option for people with slow Internet connections.
"This was a big feedback piece," Richardson told me. "There are hundreds of millions of people out there that still love the classic Hotmail interface. Plus, upgrading can be scary. So the new classic view looks more like the traditional Hotmail interface but includes all the safety features of the new version. Anyone migrating from Hotmail to Windows Live Hotmail will get the classic view by default." Microsoft will utilize customer education techniques to help them move slowly over to the new interface, I was told.
Additionally, and temporarily, Microsoft is also allowing existing customers to go back to the old Hotmail UI. Obviously, that will stop being an option at some point. For purposes of this review, I'm going to stick with the full view because it offers the full Windows Live Hotmail experience.
Another part of that experience is the new reading pane. This pane, which can be displayed on the right, on the bottom (Figure), or disabled all together (Figure), lets you view email as you navigate from message to message in the email list, without having to open a separate window, or is more typical with Web mail, navigate to a new page. The result is an email application-like experience and it's a huge enhancement if you're used to old-fashioned Web mail clients like the old MSN Hotmail.
Microsoft also provides some basic color themes so you can personalize the Hotmail experience somewhat. In addition to the standard blue-green Windows Live look, there are also blue, red, black (Figure), silver, pink, green, purple and orange themes. I don't find many of these particularly attractive. What I'd like to see in the future is a fully skinnable environment so that you could make Hotmail look like Outlook 2007 or whatever and let individuals create their own UIs. Colors are a nice start, but they're only a start.
On a positive note, I've tested Windows Live Hotmail in IE 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 (see my review), and it appears to render almost identically in each browser, with a few exceptions. For the heck of it, I also tried out the service with Apple Safari 2.0 (which is Mac-only), and there it provided only the classic view, which doesn't sport a reading pane or any of the drag and drop features described below. Basically, you're going to get the best experience in IE, but Firefox works pretty well too.
Security features
If you're familiar with some of the security features Microsoft has added to Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7, see my review), Windows Mail in Windows Vista, and Outlook 2007, then the security advances in Windows Live Hotmail will seem very familiar. There's a new Safety Bar--similar to the Information Bar in IE 7--that displays color-coded alert flags for emails that Hotmail finds suspicious. This provides a nice visual cue about the safety level of the email. For example, you'll see a yellow Safety Bar if an email with embedded images, links, or attachments arrives from a source that's not in your contacts list or safe senders list (Figure). And you'll see a red Safety Bar when a potentially fraudulent email, like a phishing email, arrives.
Microsoft says that email attachments are automatically scanned, and there's a fairly conspicuous Trend Micro icon on email message screens, suggesting that Microsoft is using a Trend Micro anti-virus solution instead of their own in-house technologies. Regardless, the AV scanning is free, and appreciated, though I'm curious what would happen if you actually tried to send amalicious attachment for which Trend Micro had no solution.
In addition to the automatic scanning, Hotmail sports pervasive junk mail controls with automatic reporting and user-controlled block and allow lists for fine-tuning email filtering. Overall, the level of protection is just about exactly right and what you'd expect from a modern Web mail solution.
Productivity enhancements
Windows Live Hotmail now provides every user with "at least" 2 GB of storage space, which means that all Hotmail users will get 2 GB of space by default, but Microsoft reserves the right to increase that amount in the future as needed. That's a big deal, because it means that virtually any email user could manage all of their email via Microsoft's servers if they wanted to. Previously, Hotmail supported just 1 GB of storage space.
When you compose a new email message, Windows Live Hotmail provides automatic address completion functionality, which is a welcome addition (Figure). The recommended addresses come from your contacts list as well as the list of email addresses from which you've received email.
In another email application-like feature, Hotmail now provides automatic inline spell checking with suggested corrections, just like Outlook (Figure): You'll see a swiggly red line under potential misspellings, and when you right-click that word, a list of corrections appears. You can also add words to your Hotmail dictionary via this right-click menu, or just choose to ignore the notation. The old version of MSN Hotmail sported some spelling functionality, but you had to manually trigger each spell check. There's no grammar checker.
Also like an email application, you can drag and drop email items (but not folders, not even for reordering). So if you want to drag an email message from the Inbox to the Deleted folder, you just click and hold it as you would in any desktop application and drag it on over (Figure). Hotmail also supports multi-selecting, so you can select multiple email messages, contiguously or not, and drag them to new locations, or right-click and perform actions like Mark as Read, Delete (Figure), Junk, and the like.
Windows Live Hotmail provides full text searching of email from a center-mounted search box that also lets you optionally search the Web; there are buttons for both Mail and Web to accommodate this. (Search in MSN Hotmail, by comparison, could only examine mail headers.) Email searches are returned in a temporary Search Results folder and appear inline in Windows Live Mail just like the Inbox (Figure). If you do choose to search the Web, Windows Live Mail opens a new browser window and forwards your request to the Live.com search engine.
Email composition includes all the HTML email niceties you'd expect, with various font and font styles, text justification, bulleting, indenting, and so forth. You can easily insert hyperlinks (Figure) from the toolbar, as well as a cool new feature called a Search Link: Simply highlight some text in your message, click the Search Link button, and you'll create a hyperlink (Figure) that will search Live.com for the selected text. Neat.
Another hidden feature is the Photo Upload tool: When you go to attach a file in an email message in Hotmail, you'll see two choices from the pop-down menu: File and Photo. As expected, File will display a Choose File dialog box from which you can navigate in your system to find the file you'd like to attach. But if you choose Photo, you'll see the Photo Upload tool, which loads in the browser window and lets you graphically navigate through pictures in a single folder and select the ones you'd like to add (Figure). As you mouse over individual photos in the tool, you can select them for inclusion and rotate in two directions (Figure). If you click a photo, the tool moves into Edit mode, from which you can perform other operations related to contrast, brightness, cropping, and the like (Figure). It's no Photoshop, of course, but it's a nice feature. Once you've selected all the photos you want, you click the Upload Now button and resized versions of the images are all added as attachments (Figure). By default, larger photos are resized so that they're no more than 600 pixels in the largest dimension. Thumbnail versions in the actual email are no larger than 320 pixels (Figure). One downside: The Photo Upload tool requires IE. If you're using Firefox or another full view-compatible browser, you'll only see the File option, in which case you can simply attach photos as you would any file. And these files aren't automatically resized, so be careful if you're sending photos in this way.
While Contacts has been upgraded along with the Hotmail email component (Figure), and sports a number of new features including Contacts/Web searching, one-click contacts addition, and so on, the Hotmail Calendar component, conspicuously, has not been updated at all (Figure). Indeed, choosing Calendar from the Hotmail folder list is like a blast from the past, though it at least confirms to whatever color theme you've chosen. Microsoft tells me that Hotmail Calendar will be updated later this year. Hopefully, it will conform to Web standards and be easily accessible via Vista's Windows Calendar and Outlook Calendar. That's most definitely not the case today, though those who still subscribe to premium MSN services will retain their Outlook Calendar capabilities. Other Hotmail users are out of luck, for now at least.
Integration features
Speaking of integration with the desktop, Microsoft has made a number of important and positive changes along these lines as well. Windows Live Hotmail now works natively with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and 2007 via a new version of the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector, which will now be made available for free to all Hotmail users, whether they're paying customers or not. For consumers and those without Outlook, Microsoft will soon ship a public beta of its upcoming Windows Live Mail client (formerly called Windows Live Mail Desktop), which will replace both Outlook Express and Windows Vista's Windows Mail. (Windows Live Mail is based, technologically, on both of these products and is a superset of each, while offering interesting additional functionality.)
The new Microsoft Office Outlook Connector is free to all Hotmail users but available as a separate download and install. I wasn't able to test this feature with Windows Live Hotmail, though I've used it in the past and have been told it hasn't changed much. (A version was not available during the beta in time for this review.) Here's the gist: The Outlook Connector will ship in English only in beta form, but will eventually be made available in 11 languages. Initially, Outlook Connector for Windows Live Hotmail will work only with email folders and contacts, and not calendar, though that will come eventually as Hotmail Calendar is upgraded. (Calendar sync still works for MSN subscribers, however.)
The Outlook Connector works with Outlook 2003 and 2007and provides the ultimate Hotmail experience, since it combines Microsoft's Web-based email solution with the most powerful and rich desktop client available today. Additionally, the Connector seamlessly synchronizes Outlook contacts with Windows Live Contacts, and you get the same Windows Live Contact benefits in Outlook as you do on the Web, where contacts that are updated online are automatically synched down to the client. Outlook, of course, can also manage various other accounts and account types simultaneously, including Exchange Server, POP3, and IMAP, and in Outlook 2007 you get new benefits such as Instant Search and the new business card view in Contacts. Outlook, too, is an excellent offline email solution: Changes are synchronized automatically when you're connected again.
In the coming weeks, Microsoft will also ship a new public beta version of Windows Live Mail (Figure), which will work natively with Windows Live Hotmail. I've been using a beta version of this Outlook Express/Windows Mail derivative for some time now, and I'll be reviewing the product separately once the public beta is available. Here's what's going on with this interesting and free new email client. To date, Microsoft has painted a very complicated story with its free consumer-oriented email clients. There's Outlook Express in XP, Windows Mail in Vista, and now the new Windows Live Mail, which replaces the other two products and will be the only one of the three actively developed going forward.
"This is the new client," Richardson told me, "and it's an evolution and superset of all the clients that came before. We're cleaning up the consumer client story. Windows Live Mail is the marriage of Windows Live services and the desktop, and it's the only client we're going to invest in going forward."
Windows Live Mail supports multiple POP3, IMAP, and Windows Live Hotmail accounts, and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) functionality, but additional features "light up" if you're using Hotmail, including true Messenger integration. It offers offline email and synchronization functionality and, unlike in the private beta, there are no advertisements. Though the ad-filled Active Search pane from the private beta will continue, you can now toggle it off. Halleluiah.
Windows Live Mail will requires Windows XP SP2 or newer. Did I mention it was free? Why is it free? "We want people to consider Hotmail as their primary personal email account," Richardson said. "We can monetize Hotmail via ads in the Web service, but also via the Outlook Connector, because people have to buy Office or Outlook to utilize that. Plus, people who use Hotmail with a desktop client are typically more active email users: They are more likely to buy Windows Live Hotmail Plus." (See below.)
Windows Live Hotmail also integrates with Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft's instant messaging client, though in somewhat vague ways. If you view an email from a Messenger contact, for example, you'll see a small Messenger icon next to their name that will indicate their current presence status (online, busy, etc.) But you can't launch an instant message from this icon. And though Hotmail Contacts identifies which contacts have Windows Live IDs, these links aren't actionable either, in a Messenger sense. (If you click on one, you'll trigger a new email message to that contact.)
Speaking of contacts, one useful bit of integration involves Windows Live Contacts, the new centralized contacts store that operates behind the scenes in Hotmail, Messenger, and other Windows Live services. If one of your Messenger contacts updates their personal information, for example, those changes will reflect across all Windows Live Contacts-compatible products and services, so you'll see the changes in your Contacts list in Hotmail.
Finally, Windows Live Hotmail also integrates nicely with various portable devices, especially Windows Mobile-based smart phones. Here, Microsoft is delivering on its "software plus services" mantra in a major way, because accessing Hotmail via a mobile device is, of course, the ultimate example of anywhere/anytime information access.
"People aren't chained to their desks," Richardson said. "We needed to make Hotmail super-accessible." To this end, there are now many different levels of smart device integration, which let you access your Hotmail email and contacts (and some other Windows Live services) when you're away from a PC. You can get SMS notifications on your smart phone each time a Hotmail-based email arrives. You can utilize a mobile Web version of Hotmail via your smart phone's Web browser. Or, if you have a Windows Mobile client, you can access the new Windows Live for Mobile, which includes an integrated client with Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger, Spaces, and Contacts integration. It's part of Windows Mobile 6, of course, but Windows Mobile 5 users will be able to download the client directly to their device as well.
Changes since the MSN days
With the move to Windows Live, Hotmail has changed in other ways since it was an MSN branded service. As with MSN Hotmail, there are free and paid versions of Windows Live Hotmail. The free versions are similar, but with some positive changes. Storage goes from 1 GB to 2 or more GB, and Microsoft says that "Windows Live Hotmail will continue to grow its storage capacity to meet customer needs." The inactive timeout period has increased from 30 days in MSN Hotmail to 120 days in Windows Live Hotmail, largely to accommodate the needs of students, who are often away for much of the summer. There are the new security features and productivity enhancements, and the now-free version of the Outlook Connector, which previously required a paid MSN subscription.
On the premium front, the new Windows Live Hotmail Plus replaces MSN Hotmail Plus. It's still $19.95 a year, but this versions gains 4 GB or more of storage space. There's no account expiration, so that inactivity timeout is no longer a concern. And Plus account holders can send 20 MB attachments, vs. 10 MB with the free version. And there are no graphical advertisements in Web mail, which is certainly welcome. Windows Live Hotmail Plus users can also take advantage of POP3 aggregation, and access email from other accounts via the Hotmail interface.
Understanding the competition
Windows Live Hotmail has two main competitors, the identities of which should be fairly obvious to most readers. The first is the new version of Yahoo! Mail, while the second is Google Gmail; both are still in beta. Like Windows Live Hotmail, both are AJAX-based Web mail solutions, meaning they offer desktop application-like functionality to some degree. Gmail is the weakest in this regard: You can't right-click anything, drag and drop items, or perform other application-like operations that both Yahoo and Hotmail handle with ease.
Of the three, Yahoo's solution is arguably the prettiest, while Hotmail and Gmail are more Spartan looking. Hotmail does let you customize the look and feel of the Web client with color themes, a feature that is sorely lacking in Gmail and Yahoo Mail. But I've been told by some that they actually prefer the low-impact Gmail UI. If that's true for you, you'll enjoy the default Windows Live Hotmail UI as well.
All of these Web email solutions offer at least 2 GB of storage, and while Yahoo recently made headlines by announcing unlimited storage in even its free Web mail client, the truth is, all of these services offer virtually unlimited storage already for all practical purposes, and it's clear that storage is no longer the differentiator it once was. You can expect Google and Microsoft to raise their storage limits as needed over time: Microsoft has explicitly pledged that it will do so.
From an organizational standpoint, both Hotmail and Yahoo let you add new folders easily using right-click, but both are limited to a single level of folders: You can't put folders inside of other folders as you can in a true desktop client. And Gmail doesn't let you create new folders at all. Instead, you are expected to organize a single big pool of email messages using labels, which does have one nice side-effect: Since you can tag an email message with multiple labels, it can appear in two or more views, something you can't do with Hotmail or Yahoo. Gmail also has a nice message threading view, in which all messages from an email threaded are displayed together.
If you want to use one of these services to manage email from another account, you're going to run into some interesting limitations. With Hotmail, you need to pay $19.99 a year for POP3 account aggregation. With Yahoo, you also need to pay, in this case for Yahoo Mail Plus (also about $20 a year) to get this functionality. In Gmail you can use a free feature called Mail Fetcher to get POP3-based mail from other accounts. That's pretty handy if you want to access all of your email through the same interface and intend to do so via the Web. All three services will forward their own mail to other accounts. If you don't mind using a desktop application, virtually any decent email solution, such as Outlook 2007 or Mozilla Thunderbird (see my review), can handle multiple email accounts.
All of these services offer some form of mobile client, though the quality and availability of those clients will vary widely depending on the device you use. As a Windows Mobile 5.0 user, I have to say that Microsoft's solutions are by far the most compelling on that device. With Gmail, you need a Java-compatible device, and I never did get Gmail Mobile running on my Q, though it's supposed to work. Yahoo, meanwhile, offers a Yahoo Mail for Mobile service, which comes in two forms: An HTML-based version that should work on virtually any device with a browser, and a smart client, Yahoo! Go 2.0, that looks somewhat like Pocket Outlook on Windows Mobile. This application (currently in "gamma," whatever that means) it not currently available for my Windows Mobile 5.0-based phone, though it looks pretty sweet and should be out soon.
So which Web mail service is the best? Honestly, all of these Web-based email solutions are excellent, and any should meet the needs of even the most demanding users. That said, Web mail is an acquired taste if you've historically used traditional desktop email applications. Even the most modern AJAX-based Web mail clients are comparably somewhat limited, and anyone who gets the volume of email I deal with will likely never consider Web mail anyway. But such sufferers are a minority: For the majority of email users out there, Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo are all excellent. What draws me to Hotmail, especially the new version, is the deep integration with Microsoft's other products and services. I'm already a heavy user of Outlook, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Mobile, so Hotmail is the obvious choice for me.
Microsoft is launching Windows Live Hotmail today globally in 36 languages. Customers who sign up for a new Hotmail account will automatically get the new version, while existing customers will see an obvious new green "Join Windows Live Hotmail" button to help them make the switch. (Those customers will retain their existing hotmail.com addresses.) Later this month, Microsoft will ship public betas of the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector and Windows Live Mail. The Windows Live for Mobile beta client should be available for Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices as well.
Later this year, Microsoft will begin a focused customer migration from the classic Hotmail to the new Windows Live Hotmail. This is expected to start in the third quarter of 2007. "We will automatically update all Hotmail customers to Windows Live Hotmail by the end of the year," Richardson said. Soon, the classic Hotmail we all know and love (or love to hate, in some cases) will be retired for good.
Final thoughts
Given the apparent parity between the three major Web mail solutions available today, you might think that choosing one is a tough decision. I'm not so sure. While it's true that Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail will meet the needs of almost any email user, I recommend looking beyond the basics when it comes time to make a choice. For example, while most people may not consider themselves "Microsoft people" or "Google people," per se, the reality is that anyone who uses the Internet regularly has likely placed a stake in one or more of these camps already. I'm pretty obviously a Microsoft guy, but I also use Google's Gmail and Blogger services regularly, and I contribute photos to Yahoo's Flickr service every so often. Of the three, however, Microsoft is the most important to me: I keep up with my friends, family, and closest business contacts via Windows Live Messenger, and I'm a dedicated Outlook user, which sort of renders the back-end email services I utilize less important (assuming they stay up, of course). I'm also a dedicated Windows user, so whatever perceived advantage one might get from using a non-Microsoft email solution may have doesn't really mean much to me. In the end, when it comes to communicating with the people I care most about, I'm currently split between Microsoft and Google, but in my particular case, it's pretty clear that Microsoft ultimately wins out. That may not be true for you. But if you're a Windows user, the big integration wins are going to occur (and have already occurred) via Windows Live. And that's just fine with me: Though I would never have considered using the old MSN Hotmail as my primary email account, I'm almost certainly going to be doing that now that Windows Live Hotmail is available, though of course I'll typically do so via Outlook and not the Web interface. For the millions of email users out there with less strenuous email requirements, a Web interface will work just fine. And Windows Live Hotmail looks like it's ready for the next decade. Highly recommended.


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The Ak-Chin Community Council awarded the contract for the renovation of the Ak-Chin Regional Airport, formerly Phoenix Regional Airport, to a joint venture between AJP Electric and Pioneer Builders, both of Phoenix.
Renovations will include improvements to the 5,000-foot runway and taxiway; installation of new lighting; and upgrades to the Fixed Base Operations (FBO) building. The million dollar improvement project is set to commence the week of June 25 and is expected to be completed in mid-September in preparation for a grand opening planned for the first week of October.
The project will be spearheaded by AJP Electric which has been in business since 1993 and has successfully completed upgrade projects for other municipal airports, including Eloy, Payson, Lake Havasu City and Scottsdale. Pioneer Builders, which specializes in tenant improvements, will handle the construction of the structure that will house the electrical infrastructure.
Ak-Chin Regional Airport was purchased by the Community in 2006 and encompasses approximately 450 acres. The Ak-Chin Industrial Park Board has been actively planning and overseeing engineering improvements to what they see as an economic generator for the Community as well as the surrounding area.
"The Airport will attract people who want to fly in and stay and play at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino and Resort, play a round of golf at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club or do business at Ak-Chin's Santa Cruz Commerce Center," says board chairman Charles Carlyle. "It will also draw people into businesses in Maricopa, Casa Grande and other surrounding areas."
A new logo for the renamed Airport was also recently unveiled. Designed by NICE Creative of Tempe, the logo features an eagle taking flight while a stylized plane underscores the Airport's theme, "Where Successful Business Takes Off."
Located in Pinal County, between the cities of Maricopa and Casa Grande, with close proximity to Phoenix and Tucson, the Airport is within five minutes of Ak-Chin's Santa Cruz Commerce Center.
Zoned for I-1 and I-2 use, the Commerce Center has 50 acres of immediately available land for lease with a build-to-suit option for qualified tenants. A leaseable office/warehouse complex was completed in 2011 and fully leased a year later. A new complex is planned for construction in 2013.


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ImageJ is a Java image processing program inspired by NIH Image for
the Macintosh. It can display, edit, analyze, process, save and print
8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit images. It can read many image formats
including TIFF, GIF, JPEG, BMP, DICOM, FITS and "raw". It supports
"stacks", a series of images that share a single window. It is multi-
threaded, so time-consuming operations such as image file reading can
be performed in parallel with other operations.
ImageJ can calculate area and pixel value statistics of user-defined
selections. It can measure distances and angles. It can create density
histograms and line profile plots. It supports standard image
processing functions such as contrast manipulation, sharpening,
smoothing, edge detection and median filtering.
ImageJ does geometric transformations such as scaling, rotation and
flips. Image can be zoomed up to 32:1 and down to 1:32. All analysis
and processing functions are available at any magnification factor.
The program supports any number of windows (images) simultaneously,
limited only by available memory.
Spatial calibration is available to provide real world dimensional
measurements in units such as millimeters. Density or gray scale
calibration is also available.
ImageJ was designed with an open architecture that provides
extensibility via Java plugins. User-written plugins make it possible
to solve almost any image processing or analysis problem.
If you are looking for additional features, search for ImageJ plugins
already available at SBo (ij-plugins-*) or check the program website
for more.
This requires: jdk
Maintained by: Petar Petrov
Keywords: imagej,microscopy,viewer,imaging,science,biology
ChangeLog: ImageJ
Download SlackBuild:
ImageJ.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
Individual Files: |
ImageJ.SlackBuild |
ImageJ.info |
doinst.sh |
imagej |
imagej.desktop |
imagej.png |
slack-desc |
© 2006-2024 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of
Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of
Linus Torvalds


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With the nation's student-loan debt climbing toward $1 trillion, it's taking many young people longer than ever to pay off their loans. Two-thirds of college students now graduate with debt, owing an average of $24,000. But some borrow far more and find this debt influencing major life decisions long after graduation.
"I was very naive, and I realize that now," says Stephanie Iachini, of Altoona, Pa. She was the first in her family to go to college and financed it herself. "Basically I was just signing papers because the education part meant a lot to me."
Between her undergraduate degree and law school — both at private institutions — Iachini owes about $160,000. She's now 31, and, only half-jokingly, says she's grateful her debt didn't scare away her husband when they were dating.
"He realized what he was taking on," she says, "but I don't think he realized the long-term impact, that this wasn't just something that we could pay off in three years and be done with it."
"About a third of bachelor degree recipients this year have enough debt to have a 20-year or longer repayment plan," says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of fastweb.com and FinAid.org, leading Web sites about paying for college.
He says for students who need help, debt is almost unavoidable these days. Yet, "nobody is teaching these students how to manage their money. The schools aren't warning them, very strenuously, about borrowing excessively."
Iachini's debt is certainly extreme, and she had no idea what kind of monthly payment it would mean. Turns out it's $1,200. And, since Iachini chose nonprofit work over the law, that's more than half her take-home pay.
"Basically all of our financial decisions are made based on his salary alone," she says. That means decisions like buying a house and even having children. Starting a family doesn't seem possible for now — maybe ever, as Iachini and her husband have explained to relatives.
"It's not what they like to hear," she says. "We get the pep talk, 'Well you guys can make it work.' I know everyone says they don't know how they're going to afford children, but we really don't."
Iachini says it weighs on her conscience that she's not the only one constrained by her debt. Her voice catches with emotion as she describes the difficulty of having to watch her husband pay all the bills every month.
"He has dreams that he wants to fulfill," she says, "and he really has to put them on the back burner, because there's not much else I'm able to contribute."
Stopping The Clock
Annie Spencer, who lives in New York City, was also the first in her family to go to college — a small state school, then private graduate school.
"I can't lie, I often fantasize about just fleeing the country and being a debt fugitive in Canada or Europe or somewhere," Spencer says.
From the minute I graduated from my master's degree, my job prospects were completely limited to the jobs that would help me pay back my loans.
She saw higher education as a way out of the precarious paycheck-to-paycheck existence she'd grown up in. So, despite merit scholarships and working 30 hours a week, Spencer racked up $85,000 in student-loan debt.
"From the minute I graduated from my master's degree," she says, "my job prospects were completely limited to the jobs that would help me pay back my loans."
She gave up on social justice work and landed a decent paying government job. But in New York City, with high rent, plus $600 a month in loan payments, it was tough.
"There were months when I was really having to watch my budget in terms of grocery shopping," she says. As with many repayment plans, hers is graduated, meaning payments increase as time goes on. She worried that at some point groceries would have to go on a credit card.
Spencer's boyfriend also has substantial student-loan debt, and she says this burden hangs over any future she tries to imagine for the two of them.
Unlike most other debt, even if you declare bankruptcy, says aid expert Kantrowitz, student-loan debt does not disappear.
"Education debt has often been highlighted as good debt, because it's an investment in your future," he says. "But too much of a good thing can be harmful."
Last year, Spencer's student-loan debt helped push her into an unlikely course — back to school for a Ph.D. No loans this time; she's on a teaching fellowship. But Spencer figures if she's always going to be strapped for money, she might as well feel good about her career. And, it lets her defer those loans.
"Honestly," she says, "it was just becoming such a day-to-day stress. So being back in school gave me a chance to stop the clock."
A chance, she says, to figure out a better strategy to pay down her crushing debt.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Stuck at retrieving character list.
Working now. Woo.
Stuck at loading screen. I tried characters in Orgrimmar, Shattrath, and Undercity.
The WoW forums seem to be down too.
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text: Your imagination and this authentic replica of a medieval castle will carry you back to days when brave knights rode on handsome steeds, great halls echoed sounds of merry feasting, and heraldic banners waved above parapets. Connected through legend and ceremony with the Princes of Wales, Caernarvon Castle was begun in 1283 by Edward I and has stood for seven centuries. Now you can re-create the glory of Caernarvon Castle with this full-color, three-dimensional model accurately rendered on heavy card stock. Complete step-by-step instructions and exploded diagrams explain how to cut, fold, and assemble the walls, towers, gates, courtyard, and ramps. Dozens of armored knights and humbly dressed peasants — all drawn to scale — are ready to set on ramparts, in courtyards, and around the castle. You'll even find crested flags to fly from parapets. An informative text provides historical information about the castle, its history, and its inhabitants. Model builders, paper crafters of all ages, and anyone interested in medieval history will delight in creating this inexpensive facsimile of one of Europe's mightiest castles.


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Association of Muslim Health Professionals' Statement
Press Release:
It is with a heavy heart that we read about the affair in the United Kingdom. As we consider these events, we hope to remind ourselves and our peers in the health and the Muslim communities of several things:
We have faith in the British system of justice and hope and expect that all suspects will have a fair trial, without prejudice. These acts in the UK, if found to be truly done by health professionals, are inconsistent with all we believe in as Americans, as Health Professionals, and as Muslims. We call on all people of conscience, whether they be health professionals, Muslims, Americans, or British to consider seriously the damage their actions might cause to innocent people, the societies who would suffer from their actions, and the peoples and groups whom they will be labeled to represent when caught and identified.
If found to be guilty, these men will not be the first doctors to plan or perform heinous acts. If British justice system finds them guilty of these crimes, we put them in a pantheon of heinous physicians performing acts that go against the grain of all we believe in as Muslim Health Professionals. Josef Mengele, Mike Swango, Harold Shipman, and in the UK, John B Adams are small list of psychopaths with medical degrees who have harmed countless numbers of people in defiance of their professional oaths. We make no difference between health professionals who use their skills contrary to the human rights of any individual. Whether it is serial murder or genocide, medical torture for the military, or unethical research for profit, these people are not from us and we are not from them.
We especially call on all health professionals, from all ethnic and minority communities, to look for signs of social isolation within their community, and to openly discuss the issues of terrorism, vigilantism, and violence that have become a cancer in our midst.
Indeed, we remind all health practitioners of their obligations under the Geneva Convention, which ask that we state that "[I, the medical practitioner] will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity.â€
# # #
The Association for Muslim Health Professionals, founded in 2004, seeks to become a leader in improving public health, through methods inspired by Islamic Tradition.


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ID Services
The Office of Student Activities is responsible for managing the ID Services area for Athens Technical College. All students are must have a current student identification card while enrolled at the College. This identification card serves as a method to prove that students are enrolled, is used as a library card, to sell used textbooks back to the bookstore, and grants students access to other campus services, such as the academic support center. Student identification cards are also used to identify students at clinical and internship sites associated with individual programs of study. Students may obtain ID cards at scheduled times each week in the office of student activities (room H-759) off of the student center on the Athens Campus, the Student Affairs Office on the Elbert County Campus, the Manager's Office at the Greene County Campus, and the Director's Office at the Walton County Campus. Students may also schedule an appointment to have their IDs made. Students receive their first photo identification card at no cost, but replacement cards are $5.
: Closed
For questions regarding ID services, please contact the office of student activities at 706-355-5175.


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Apple reportedly has plans to launch two new iPad models next year according to a recent report. Set to be unveiled at a press conference in January, the two new iPads will join Apple's iPad 2 to create an iPhone like tablet lineup. The iPad 2 will remain available at an entry-level price point, DigiTimes claimed citing unnamed industry sources, while new mid-range and high-end iPad models will launch early in 2012. Both new iPads will feature dual-LED backlit 9.7-inch displays with a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. It is unclear what features might distinguish the new mid-range iPad from the high-end model. The report also claims that Apple's rumored 7.85-inch iPad will not be among the models to launch early next year. Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair recently said in a note to investors that Apple would continue to sell the iPad 2 at a lower price point following the launch of its next-generation tablet model.
UPDATE: Loop Insight's Jim Dalrymple noted that according to his sources, Apple has no plans to unveil an iPad 3 at the iWorld expo in January as noted in DigiTimes's report.


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Man of the Year Exclusive DVD Giveaway!
The DVD comes out next week, your chance to win a free copy. I have 3 to give away.
If you're interested, send an email to [email protected] with Man of the Year as the subject. That's it…super easy, no other criteria necessary.
Winners selected randomly. Deadline Friday February 16th. Winners contacted by Sunday.
Good luck!
Man of the Year official Synopsis:
Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night...until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president, himself? After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what frustrated voters have often thought. Nov. 2nd later, the muckraker wins—only to learn that a computer voting error gave him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs has a big decision to make: should he go back behind the mike or stay in the Oval Office?
Courtesy Universal Studios Home Entertainment © 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.


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Since hitting the scene in 1988, guitarist Greg Howe's contributions to the world of instrumental rock and fusion cannot be underestimated.
Howe has performed alongside some of pop music's biggest stars, including Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Rihanna.
This fall, the man who cut his teeth playing the club circuit in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley will unveil his latest band project, Maragold, and his first "vocals" album in years.
I recently spoke to Howe and got the scoop on Maragold. We also discussed the upcoming anniversary of his self-titled debut album, which still ranks as one of Guitar World's 10 best shred albums of all time.
GUITAR WORLD: Can you give us an update on the new record?
We're gearing up for an October release. There are a few extra guitar tracks I need to record and a few vocal things to tweak, but I'm comfortable with that deadline. We're also planning a big tour to support the album beginning early next year.
This is your first vocal album in quite some time.
It's an exciting, inspiring thing. This project is like a 360 back to where I came from. It was great going through the whole instrumental/fusion process. It allowed me to learn a lot and really build my musical vocabulary. But at the same time, this project gives me the opportunity to reach as many people as possible. Plus it's a lot of fun to play rhythm guitar again and be able to smile at the audience.
What's the rest of the lineup for Maragold?
The drummer is Gianluca Palmieri, who played on my album, Soundproof. The bassist, Kevin Vecchione, has been a friend of mine for years and also played on the Five album. I'm keeping the singer's name a secret for now to really surprise people.
What should fans expect from the new album?
A lot of energy and a lot of really great songwriting.
This project also happens to coincide with the upcoming 25th anniversary of your original Shrapnel release.
- It's hard to believe it's been that long [laughs]. There's a good story behind that. Twenty five years ago, I was in a cover band playing the club circuits in the Lehigh Valley and upstate New York. We had done showcases and had gotten some label interest, but nothing
- had evolved from it.
At the same time, Mike Varney was running a monthly column in a guitar magazine where he would spotlight three unknown guitar players. Guitarists would send in cassette tapes of their playing and, if Mike really liked you, he'd sign you to his record label. I decided to send in a tape to his PO box, never really expecting to get a response. But I've always believed that if you really want something, there isn't one "set way" to try to get it. Sometimes you have to be imaginative in order to achieve it.
So what I did was also mail another tape to him simultaneously; but this one I sent via Federal Express. I knew that by doing so, my package would be delivered separate from the hundreds of other tapes he'd likely receive. More importantly, someone would have to physically sign for it, and there would be a much better chance of my tape getting delivered to him personally. And that's precisely what happened; I literally got a phone call the next day and was offered a record deal. It was amazing.
What was your practice schedule like growing up?
At that time it was nice, because I was living at home with my mom and had no real responsibilities. I used to play pretty much all the time and occasionally take a break to go poke around in the refrigerator [laughs]. It wasn't uncommon for me to play eight hours a day back then. What was nice was that there was no email, gaming or internet social networking. For me, playing guitar was my video game. Instead of being excited about a new game that had just come out, I was excited to put my guitar in my hands and try something new. Especially if I'd hear someone play this really cool lick and had to try to figure it out. I was always inspired and it never felt like practice.
Do you have a good rock and roll story?
I do remember back in the mid '90s, Kevin and I were doing a benefit concert for Jason Becker, an amazing guitarist who, unfortunately, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and could no longer play. What was cool about that show was there were so many amazing guitarists there. Eddie Van Halen headlined the show along with Steve Lukather and Billy Sheehan.
At the end of the show, we were all hanging out together backstage when Kevin got into a misunderstanding with the local police outside of the venue. The officer was actually going to arrest him, and he was trying to get out of it. The cop eventually said, "If you get me Van Halen's autograph, I'll let you go." Long story short, Eddie got my bass player out of going to jail that night [laughs].
Keep up with Greg Howe on Facebook and his official website.


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Activity courses provide practice in such areas as music, dance, physical education and Student Recreation and Leadership (SRL). Except as required by a student's major, students may apply to the degree no more than eight units each of activity course credit in music, dance, theatre arts, or kinesiology and no more than four units of activity course credit in SRL, up to a total of no more than 20 units in all areas.
No more than 70 units of courses from a Community College may be counted toward the minimum unit requirement for the baccalaureate. (For more detail, see the section on Transfer Credit in the Academic Information section of this Catalog.)


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BillboardIn its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
Términos y frases comunes
air personality album American Angeles award Best Leftfield Pick Biggest Happening Biggest Leftfield Happening Bill Billboard Blue Bobby Buck Owens Capitol Capitol Records cassette catalog cent Chicago Columbia composers concert Corp country music Decca deejay disk distributors division feature Festival film firm Ginette Reno gospel gospel music guitar Jazz Jewel LP Jimmie Rodgers June label Latin Leftfield Liberty Records Love manager manufacturers ment Mercury Record Miss Garcia Monique Mono Muntz music business music director Music Pub Music Publishing Nashville operation orchestra ords Peer International Peer-Southern Peer-Southern Organization piano play president program director progressive rock promotion Puerto Rico quartet radio Ralph Peer RCA Victor RCA Victor LPM release repertoire retail Roy Horton serious music SESSION singer songs songwriter Soul Southern Music station Stereo Symphony tape CARtridge Tele tion tour United Artists Vend week


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Description (from the Publisher): I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.
Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.
Review: The romance between Min Green and Ed Slaterton lasted just over a month. No one, from the novel and I would argue even the reader, sees why these two are together. Ed is the gorgeous, popular, basketball-jock who is a complete jerk. Min is an outspoken, outsider, and romantic-movie buff with frizzy hair. Ed just wants a good time, where Min lives in her romantic, fantasy world. Told from Min's point of view, each memento thrown in a box tells the story of their relationship and why they broke up.
In her stream of conscious and dear john letter, Handler frames Min and Ed's lives with sharp clarity that it leaps off the page. We see these characters in front of us, feel their initial excitement when they first meet one another and shake our heads in disappointment with the first sign that they are breaking apart. Each ordinary object explained by Min's searing honesty, passion, and hind-sight 20/20 enlightenment and vividly illustrated by Kalman, becomes extraordinary. For instance in Ed's eyes a thrift-store cookbook is just, well, a cookbook, bur for Min it is a spur of the moment dinner party for an aging imaginary film star and her idol. It takes skill for a writer to pull off a stream of consciousness writing technique, but Handler does it very well. Min's narration comes across naturally and not forced. There were many times where I felt Min was sitting next to me and I was listening to her story instead of just reading it. As each object is thrown into the box for Ed, we like Min feel cathartic and powerful. Funny, poignant, smart, and sad, any one who has experienced heartbreak of any kind will relate to this book.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Words of Caution: There is some strong language, underage drinking, and reference to sex. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.
If you like this book try: The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green


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The City of San Diego, through its Utilities Undergrounding Program, is currently relocating approximately 15 miles of overhead utility lines underground throughout the city each year.
In addition to utilizing statewide funds for undergrounding, the City's aggressive plans for under-grounding overhead utilities is funded primarily through a 2003 California Public Utilities Commission approved undergrounding surcharge on San Diego residents' electricity bills.
In the City approximately $54 million per year is spent to convert unsightly overhead power and communication lines with safer and more reliable underground systems. These funds are dedicated exclusively for undergrounding and may not be used by the City for other purposes.
Although the City has been undergrounding lines since 1970, approximately 1,000 miles of overhead utility lines remain to be undergrounded. It is estimated that nearly all residential areas will be completed within the next 54 years.
To see when your area is scheduled for undergrounding, or for general information about the City's Utilities Undergrounding Program, call the information line at (619) 533-3841.
The Utilities Undergrounding Program consists of two types of projects: one involves SDG&E Rule 20 (or SBC tariff 32) projects that must meet certain public benefit criteria consistent with the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC)'s state-wide program. This program relates primarily to overhead lines along major city streets. The other type is known as a Surcharge project which is where the project is funded by the increased franchise fee authorized by the CPUC in Resolution E-3788. Projects that fall into the surcharge category are typically found in residential areas that do not meet Rule 20 criteria.
The goal of the City of San Diego is to convert every residential overhead utility line in San Diego to underground service over the next 54 years. Approximately $10 million worth of Rule 20 A projects are completed in the city each year. Under Resolution E-3788, the City spends an additional amount of money, approximately $44 million each year, on surcharge projects, which quadruples the pace of undergrounding throughout the city.
Before and After Photos
The following photos demonstrate the difference between utility lines above ground and lines underground.
Mission Boulevard, circa 1972 - Before Undergrounding |
Mission Boulevard, circa 1972 - After Undergrounding |
Photo of Street With Utility Poles |
Photo of Street Without Utility Poles (Photo has been Digitally Altered) |


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Currency Displayed in
Quality and natural pet food supplies are supplied by Rainforst Health products. We supply products from a number of pet food companies that are all natural, free from artificial preservatives, flavours and colourings and are a great meal for your pets. If you have any questions at all about our pets food ingredients or how suitable it may be for your pet, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Pet food direct 2U with the touch of a button. Our delivery rates are also excellent value.


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Lead Beacon
Put Your Business On The Map.
Lead Beacon makes it easy to get your business noticed. Our core service provides a platform built on a solid foundation that not only provides unlimited customization potential to suit every business but also provides powerful domain authority for your business through the network of 300 high-trust citations.
Business Text Messaging - Engage with your customers when and where they are with our powerful business text messaging and webchat.
Online Reputation Management – Build and Strengthen Your Brand with our review management system. It makes it easy to grow your reviews online.
Local Search Proximity Power: Lead Beacon's powerful Citation Builder will help you ignite your success in local searches. It gives Google exactly what it needs.
Calgary ( (listen) KAL-gər-ee) is a city in the western Canadian province of Alberta. With a population of 1,239,220, Calgary is the most populous city in Alberta, and the third most populous city in Canada after Toronto and Montreal. The Calgary Metropolitan Region is the second largest population centre in Western Canada, after Greater Vancouver. Calgary is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in the transitional area between the Rocky Mountain Foothills and the Canadian Prairies, about 80 km (50 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies, roughly 299 km (186 mi) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton and approximately 240 km (150 mi) north of the Canada–United States border. The city anchors the south end of the Statistics Canada-defined urban area, the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor.Calgary's economy includes activity in the energy, financial services, film and television, transportation and logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, health and wellness, retail, and tourism sectors.
Abbeydale, Beddington Heights, Bel-aire, Beltline, Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, Bowness, Bridgeland-Riverside, Bridlewood, Britannia, CFB Currie


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Phantastic Smiles
Phantastic Smiles - Orlando FL Dentist Your Orlando Cosmetic Dentist Cuong T. Phan, DMD, MAGD
Phantastic Smiles is pleased to serve Orlando, FL as well as the surrounding areas. Since 2002, we have been dedicated to providing the best dental care. Dr. Phan is our leader. He has received the Prestigious Mastership Award of the Academy of General Dentistry. He has been featured in Orlando City Magazine and Lifestyle Magazine. He is also ranked as Orlando's BEST Cosmetic Dentist.
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released in July 2017, making it the 23rd-largest metropolitan area in the United States, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the third-largest metropolitan area in Florida behind Miami and Tampa. Orlando had a population of 307,573 in the 2020 census, making it the 67th-largest city in the United States, the fourth-largest city in Florida, and the state's largest inland city. The City of Orlando is nicknamed "the City Beautiful", and its symbol is the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, commonly referred to as simply the "Lake Eola fountain" at Lake Eola Park. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the 13th-busiest airport in the United States and the 29th-busiest in the world.Orlando is one of the most-visited cities in the world primarily due to tourism, major events, and convention traffic; in 2018, the city drew more than 75 million visitors.
33rd Street Industrial, Audubon Park, Bryn Mawr, Callahan, Carver Shores, Catalina, College Park, Colonial Town Center, Colonialtown Neighborhood Center, Colonialtown North


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Last week, Matthew VanDyke, a freelance journalist and travel writer from Baltimore, went from solitary confinement in one of Moammar Gadhafi's most notorious prisons to one of Tripoli's most luxurious hotels.
VanDyke acknowledges that in early March, shortly after the uprising against Gadhafi began, he arrived in Libya to help the rebels.
"I was here to do whatever I could to help the revolution and I'll leave it at that," said VanDyke, who is now a guest at the Corinthia Hotel in the Libyan capital.
Under Gadhafi's rule, tens of thousands of people disappeared into the regime's prisons. The state security apparatus regularly tortured detainees and held them without trial, according to human-rights groups.
When the rebels stormed into Tripoli last week and drove Gadhafi from power, many prisons were opened up and inmates were allowed to go or managed to escape. Five U.S. citizens, including VanDyke, were among them.
Captured With Rebels
I'm taking pictures of smiling people one minute, and next thing I know, I wake up in a cell, there's a man being tortured in the room above me. I could hear it.
Back on March 13, VanDyke was with three rebel friends in the coastal town of Brega when they were captured by Gadhafi troops.
"I'm taking pictures of smiling people one minute, and next thing I know, I wake up in a cell, there's a man being tortured in the room above me. I could hear it," VanDyke recalled. "And no memory — some flashes came back later of the ambush and being transported — except no real memory of what happened."
VanDyke vanished into Gadhafi's state security system like so many others. For months, Libyan officials denied they were even holding him. And except for the time he was moved from one prison to another, he was kept in solitary confinement.
"I never encountered any other prisoners," he said. "I thought I heard a few violent interrogations at night, which made me think they were going to come and get me. So I prepared myself for getting tortured."
He said he trimmed his fingernails and toenails so they couldn't be pulled out. "I just tried to be ready," he said. "I didn't know which night my night was going to be."
Held In Tiny Cell
But in the end, he says he was never physically abused. Instead he was locked away in a cell 7 feet by 4 feet and was all but ignored. There was nothing in the cell except a foam mattress and a filthy blanket.
In the first prison where he was held, he just sat and stared at the walls day after day. Then he was moved to the Abu Salim prison, the place where many of the country's political prisoners were sent.
There, VanDyke said, he had a slightly larger cell.
"I could walk two or three steps back and forth. Two or three steps, turn around," he said. "So I would do that all day, with the idea that if I could make myself tired, I could sleep. And if I could sleep I could dream, and in my dreams I wasn't in prison. And then when I'd wake up, the nightmare would begin."
The photos of VanDyke before his arrest show a tall, athletic man in his early 30s with a confident air. He emerged from prison incredibly thin, the skin on his face pulled taut over his cheekbones and his bony shoulders poking at a limp dress shirt.
He says solitary confinement was psychological torture and he wouldn't even want Gadhafi to have to endure it.
American Contractor Seized
Richard Peters, an American construction and security contractor, also emerged last week after six months in captivity.
Peters was in a different prison, where he had a bit more space and a Bible. And he says his experience was very different from VanDyke's.
"I did pushups, I did dips, I did pull-ups, isometrics. Everything. An hour's worth," he said, adding that he ran for up to 30 minutes a day and walked for hours. He also read his Bible regularly.
"My agenda was pretty positive — working out, reading the word and praying to God," he said.
Peters, 62, from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was in Tripoli trying to secure what he says was a $500 million construction contract from the Gadhafi regime when the fighting broke out in February.
He was captured trying to drive from the capital to the east where he hoped to use his military background to offer training to the rebels.
Peters and VanDyke have both remained in Tripoli since regaining their freedom. Peters says he believes there will be huge construction and security contracts awarded in the coming months, and he wants in on that business.
VanDyke is staying because he says he promised his rebel friends back in March that he would not leave until Libya was free.
"It came as a real shock to me that my freedom came with Libya's freedom," he said. "I came here to help however I could help the revolution. And in the end, the revolution helped me and gave me my freedom."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Hands-On Science | Experimentation | Curiosity Knows No Bounds
This is a group for anyone interested in applied sciences, including optical and scanning electron microscopy, fermentation science, saponification, herbalism, astronomy and planetary science, and citizen science.
We started this Meetup because many people think science must be done in a lab with expensive equipment. We want to show how easy and fun scientific experiments can be. We will gather to do science, talk about news in the world of science, and have field trips to places like Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin.
This group is open to people of all experience levels, from complete newbies to working scientists. Bring your curiosity and join us!
Also, please like our page on Facebook. Help us reach 100 likes by the end of July!


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Gadhafi's Funeral Delayed; Questions Persist On Final Moments
In Sirte, fighters loyal to the new government celebrate after the town's defenses finally fell, and former leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed.
Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty ImagesThe funeral for former Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi was to have taken place Friday, in keeping with Islamic tradition that bodies be buried as soon as possible. But a host of concerns have caused the body to be placed in temporary storage instead — and an inquiry may be launched into how he died.
Update at 1:15 p.m. ET: Several news agencies have confirmed that a U.S. Predator drone aided the attack on a large convoy as it attempted to leave Sirte Thursday — and that Gadhafi was in the convoy. The air attack, by at least one drone and several French jets, was reported by The Daily Telegraph Thursday. More details of the drone's role in the attack are on Wire's site.
Update at 12:10 p.m. ET: The AP reports that Gadhafi's body is being stored in the town of Misrata, in a shopping center's commercial freezer. The freezer was reportedly cleared out before the corpse was put there, in an attempt to keep it away from prying eyes.
But it's evidently not a well-kept secret. An AP reporter visited, and viewed the body:
Outside the shopping center, hundreds of civilians from Misrata jostled to get inside for a peek at the body, shouting "God is great" and "We want to see the dog."
Our original post continues:
The dictator was found and killed in his hometown of Sirte Thursday, after eight months of unrest and violence in Libya.
Here are some of the open questions concerning Libya:
After videos surfaced that prove the deposed leader was alive when he was found by fighters loyal to the new government, the U.N. Human Rights Council is calling for an investigation.
One of those videos was published on the Global Post site. The jerky (and graphic) cellphone video shows a wounded Gadhafi, surrounded by a frenzied crowd of men. That video, when seen in the context of one from moments later that shows Gadhafi's corpse, is "very disturbing," says a U.N. representative.
"There's a lot of uncertainty about what happened exactly. There seem to be four or five different versions of how he died," U.N. spokesman Rupert Colville tells Reuters TV.
There is even confusion over the former leader's last words. According to The Telegraph and other sources, Gadhafi's final words were "Don't shoot." That's reportedly what he said when he was first discovered in a drainage pipe. But according to MSNBC, another translation has the dictator asking, just before losing consciousness, "Do you know right from wrong?"
Libya's National Transitional Council also faces a dilemma: how to bury Gadhafi in a way that doesn't offend Islamic law — but also doesn't provide Gadhafi loyalists with a rallying point or pilgrimage site. There is evidently disagreement within the new government over how best to handle the situation.
Similar questions surrounded the death of Osama bin Laden, whose body was buried at sea, according to reports.
Late Thursday, NATO confirmed that it would be winding down its mission in Libya.


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The Gayatri is an ancient mantra used for thousands of years to bring light and clarity to the mind.
Om Bhur Bhuvah Swaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
In this short session, join me as I share this mantra with you and explore it's many benefits. We will then do a short guided meditation, taking you though a 3 stage technique, using this mantra, to bring you inward to a place of deep inner stillness. Enjoy this beautiful, universal, prayer for peace!
You can even try using this meditation technique for the next 24 days and discover the power of dedication and intention. Offer these positive vibes to your loved ones, a special event, people in need or even towards your health and wellbeing.
Here are some of the many benefits of the Gayatri mantra:
- Activates Vishuddhi, Ajna and Sahasra chakras
- Significantly slows the breathing - thereby helping to regulate the heart beat
- Connect to the universe around you - it's said to be the "song of the universe"
- Helps to illuminate the soul of the seeker in their search of Truth
- Associated with the sun and light as it gives it's energy freely to everyone


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First dentistry was painless.
Then bicycles were chainless,
Carriages were horseless,
And many laws enforceless.
Next cookery was fireless,
Telegraphy was wireless,
Cigars were nicotineless,
And coffee caffeineless.
Soon oranges were seedless,
The putting green was weedless,
The college boy was hatless,
The proper diet fatless.
New motor roads are dustless,
The latest steel is rustless,
Our tennis courts are sodless,
Our new religion — godless.


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When I was diagnosed with PCOS nearly 2 years ago, I wanted to make every effort to include plenty of protein in each of my meals, especially breakfast. My love for make-ahead meals and carbohydrates make the protein in the mornings a challenge, but I keep trying.
During a weak moment on the Skyway heading from Chicago to Columbus one dreary, Sunday morning, I found myself in the drive-thru of McDonalds. I ordered a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, a small orange juice, and a large coffee. I figured that was breakfast, lunch, and plenty of fat to ring in the morning after a party-hardy wedding the night before.
It came as no surprise that the McMuffin hit the spot. I would choose McDonald's breakfast over any other fast food option (there, I said it). And then it came to me…(or maybe it was when I saw the whole wheat English muffins for $1)…why not make these at home? Duh.
As someone who knows exactly what I want from the grocery store, I don't spend a lot of time researching new products. I know what I want, and I get it. And grocery stores seem to test my patience a bit too much. But new to breakfast sausage, I perused my options. When I saw "turkey fat" was ingredient in one turkey breakfast sausage option, I decided then and there that making my own was a much safer (and healthier) route to go.
In order to make this an option for busy weekday mornings, I made the breakfast sausage, cooked and everything, and froze the patties. I grab one from the freezer and zap it in the microwave for about 90 seconds. It takes about 4 minutes to "fry" and egg in a spritz of cooking spray, and about the same amount of time to toast an English muffin. Including throwing my pan and spatula in the dishwasher, I can have a protein-packed, FILLING breakfast in 6 minutes flat. That's less time than it takes to get through any drive-thru. Plus, I save myself over 100 calories, 14 grams of fat (52% less!), 37% less sodium, 14 grams more protein, and 2 grams more fiber. Yes, please!
[print_this]Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties very slightly adapted from Taste of Home
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
white pepper, dash
cayenne pepper, dash
ground allspice, dash
ground cloves, dash
ground nutmeg, dash
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into six patties. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patties over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Information (per patty): 94 calories; 2.3 g. fat; 43 mg. cholesterol; 235 mg. sodium; 0 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 17.3 g. protein
Result: Tangy and perfectly seasoned just as a breakfast sausage should be. If you think you'll miss pork sausage…give these a shot. I bet these will convert you to turkey with no kicking or screaming…delicious!
[/print_this]All together now!
Lightened Up Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin
1 whole wheat English muffin
1 slice reduced-fat cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
1 egg
1 sausage patty (recipe above)
Toast English muffin in a toaster or toaster oven.
Hard fry egg in non-stick cooking spray.
Microwave pre-made and frozen sausage patty (above) for 1 minute on high.
Assemble sandwich and eat immediately! Yield: 1 breakfast sandwich.
Nutrition Information (per sandwich): 346 calories; 13 g. fat; 269 mg. cholesterol; 578 mg. sodium; 28 g. carbohydrate; 4 g. fiber; 35 g. protein
Result: As a huge fan of McDonald's breakfast, this passes with flying colors. You want to think you're "cheating", but really, you're starting off the morning with a lean, protein-packed meal with LOTS of staying power. These come together in about 6 minutes from start to finish (yes, I have this down to a science). Enjoy!
If you couldn't tell, I've been enjoying these breakfast sandwiches a LOT lately. They are so filling and for days when I teach for 5 hours straight, they're perfect.
I want to quickly share 2 tidbits, too!
First, I did get the job at the gym! However, between my schedule and theirs, I am going to slowly complete the trainings and look to start teaching in the January time frame. I just couldn't commit to more than 1-2 classes a week at this point, so they are working with me on this, which is great.
Secondly, I found a new site to share! I know many of you, like myself, enjoy drooling over the stunning photos seen at both Foodgawker and Tastespotting. Well, there's a new "food porn" site devoted to HEALTHY recipes, Healthy Aperture. If you're looking for new, healthy recipe to try (or drool over)…head on over!
Question: Do you like McDonalds breakfast? Or breakfast sandwiches? 😉
Be well,


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Story highlights
Families were told to leave their valuables and "go out with only the clothes on you"
ISIS had decreed that Christians had to convert, pay extra taxes or "face death by the sword"
On Friday, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave Christians in Mosul one day to leave
Just days after the militant group the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said they killed hundreds of Syrians, dozens of Iraqi Christian families are now fleeing the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul, hoping to avoid a similar fate.
On Friday, the al Qaeda splinter group issued an ultimatum to Iraqi Christians living in Mosul – by Saturday at noon (5 a.m. ET), they must convert to Islam, pay a fine or face "death by the sword."
A total of 52 Christian families left the city of Mosul early Saturday morning, with an armed group prohibiting some of them from taking anything but the clothes on their backs.
"They told us, 'You to leave all of your money, gold, jewelry and go out with only the clothes on you,'" Wadie Salim told CNN.
Images obtained exclusively by CNN show that the phrase "property of ISIS" scrawled in black paint on a number of the homes that were abandoned.
Some of the families headed for Irbil – which is currently controlled by Kurdish forces – and others toward the Dohuk province. The majority went to Dohuk, which is 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Mosul.
"We did not know how to act," said another Mosul resident, Um Nazik. "Are we going to get killed?"
ISIS was able to take over large swaths of land due to the lack of centralized authority in both Iraq and war-torn Syria. The Sunni militants hope to establish an Islamic state throughout the region it currently controls.
Salman al-Farisi, the ISIS-appointed governor of Mosul, declared that any family that planned to on staying in Mosul and not to converting to Islam would be required to pay 550,000 Iraqi dinar (about $470).
Letters distributed to Christians in Mosul in recent days said ISIS's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, agreed to allow those who didn't embrace Islam or pay a special jizya tax to leave.
ISIS is notorious for its brutality – the group is so violent that al Qaeda has attempted to distance itself from its former affiliate.
On Thursday in Syria's Homs province, the militant Sunni group killed 270 people after storming and seizing the Shaer gas field, the group said.
READ: Islamic extremists kill 270 in attack on a gas field in central Syria, report says
MAPS: Understanding the crisis
CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Baghdad and Joshua Berlinger wrote this article from Atlanta.


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Disney Princess Half Marathon
Well, as promised, I wanted to post our race day picture from the half marathon. This was done for my daughter's benefit, who set the goal to run a half marathon about 6 months ago and figured the promise of a Disney trip would be incentive to stay on top of her training.
She schlepped that tutu and that tiara for the whole 13.1, walking only at a couple of the last water stops. This event was 95% women, and attracts a LOT of folks who really don't run the whole thing, so it was a great place for her to begin. It's also pretty laid back, as there are actually character photo ops every mile, though we skipped those. I have not seen our time, but we probably did about 2:45. That's 20 minutes worse than my time five years ago -- it would be nice to say I was holding back to stay with my daughter but in fact she pulled me through the last mile. Muscles and cardio were fine but the knees and ankles really can't take it any more. But I proudly wore this bad boy all day.
If you are interested in this sort of thing, it was a great event, going through two of their parks. The only problem is that it has to take place before the parks are open, so we had to set the wake-up call for 3:15 AM. Uggh. The butt-crack of dawn, as my sister calls it.
And yes, I did help make the tutu, with the aid of this video. It is videos like that that remind me there are whole worlds of which I am virtually unaware. Note the number of views - 1.4 million, on making a tutu.


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Book flights to Birmingham
England's second-largest city is an industrial hub surrounded by some of the most spectacularly beautiful countryside in the nation. Fly to Birmingham and discover a friendly city that embraces both the past and the future.
Birmingham was widely known as the "City of 1000 Trades" and the "Workshop of the World" during the Victorian era. Book a flight ticket to Birmingham and discover a thriving city with a multi-cultural metropolis that offers outstanding food, retail and cultural opportunities.
Birmingham travel highlights
Birmingham is the place to go, to view some of the world's best art collections, or if you fancy a big helping of eye-watering curry.
Tourist attractions
In Birmingham you will find a number of well-preserved, unusual historical attractions, such as the Jacobean Aston Hall. For a truly spectacular experience, visit this mansion during the winter festivities, when it is lit by hundreds of candles.
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is an excellent exhibition space, boasting the world's most extensive collection of Pre-Raphaelite artwork. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, part of the University of Birmingham, displays work of great artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Gauguin and Botticelli.
Birmingham remains an industrial city, and that heritage is celebrated in preserved water mills such as Sarehole Mill. The city is also the national centre of the silversmith profession. The Jewellery Quarter is still full of highly talented silversmiths and goldsmiths carrying on the tradition.
At the other end of the spectrum is Cadbury World, which celebrates the history of chocolate confectionery in the city. No trip to Birmingham is complete without a tour of the factory – with the bonus of some deliciously indulgent samples. -
Leisure activities
Birmingham, like many of the Midlands' industrial cities, was founded on its canals, which have been restored in many parts of the city. Today, Birmingham has a reputation for having more miles of canals than Venice. The canals are popular among kayakers and boaters, while also providing "green corridors" through the heart of the city. They are perfect for lazy afternoon strolls or cycle rides.
If you're a film buff, make sure to visit the Electric Cinema in Station Street, which is the oldest cinema in the UK. Here, film-lovers can watch some of the latest arthouse cinema in Art Deco surroundings. Relax in ultimate comfort, thanks to the cinema's waiter service, comfortable sofas and sophisticated ambience.
One of the UK's largest exhibition spaces, the National Exhibition Centre, is close to the Birmingham city centre. It hosts everything from high-tech shows to motoring events, all year round. The neighbouring NEC Arena is home to countless sporting events.
No matter when you travel to Birmingham, you will find plenty of entertainment on offer, from numerous live music concerts to world-class theatres and sports tournaments. For cricket fans, the Edgbaston Cricket Club, a venue of international importance for test matches and one-day events, is a must-see. -
While it has an outstanding selection of Indian and Asian food outlets, Birmingham is perhaps most famous for being the home of the "Balti Triangle". Balti – a curry dish cooked and served in a thin steel bowl – was, contrary to popular belief, invented in Birmingham in the 1970s, and not imported from India. For authentic Balti, head for Ladypool Road and Stratford Road in Sparkbrook, which is about two miles south of the city centre.
Elsewhere, you can find every type of culinary choice imaginable, from Vietnamese to Sudanese, Thai and modern fusion. There are also plenty of fast food outlets for you to choose from. -
If you are travelling to Birmingham for some retail therapy, then you'll be pleased to find its shopping offerings are second only to central London.
The famous Bullring shopping centre draws most shoppers. You can also seek out the smaller centres such as Pavillions, The Mailbox and the Pallasades (The Mall), located directly above New Street Station.
The principal shopping streets are New Street, High Street and Corporation Street. The Jewellery Quarter, to the north of the city centre, specialises in accessories, with many independent retailers.
Essential facts about Birmingham
Enjoy a hassle-free journey with all the information you need to know before your tripFlight FAQ
To get the best price on your {Destination} flights, it is recommended that you book well in advance of your departure date, as booking early means you are likely to secure the flight you want with your preferred departure and arrival times.
From the moment you step on board until you reach {Destination}, the award-winning cabin crew will take care of your every need. Prepare to enjoy renowned hospitality as you relax in a spacious seat, and keep warm with a cosy blanket for the ultimate comfort. Explore local and international flavours when you indulge in fine cuisine prepared with only the freshest ingredients. Explore up to 6,000 entertainment options on Oryx One, including the latest movie releases, TV series, music and games.


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You may contact our Planning and Building staff by email, phone, or by visiting our counter for further questions on your project.
General Zoning Inquiries:
Email: email@example.com
Call Planner on Duty: (650) 522-7212
Planning Counter Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00am - 4:45pm and Tuesday 12:30pm - 4:45pm
Building Permit Application and Fee Inquiries:
Building Counter Line: (650) 522-7172
Building Code Consultation (Building Plan Checker) Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30am - 11:30am
Fire Prevention Inquiries:
Justin Ho: (650) 522-7940
Fire Code Consultation Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30am-11:30am
Parks and Recreation Inquiries:
Call (650) 522-7400
Heritage Tree Preservation Inquiries:
Call (650) 522-7420
Show All Answers
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), also known as in-law units, second units, cottages, or granny units, is a smaller living unit on a property that has a single-family residence.
An ADU is an attached or detached residential dwelling unit which provides independent living facilities for one or more persons, is accessory to the primary single-family residential dwelling unit, and includes permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking facilities, and sanitation on the same parcel as the primary residential dwelling unit.
A JADU is an additional, independent living unit created through the conversion of an existing bedroom in a single-family dwelling.
No. An accessory dwelling unit is habitable, while an accessory building is not (i.e. shed, covered porch, etc.). However, accessory buildings have the potential to be converted into an ADU, if it conforms to current ADU code requirements.
ADUs can be detached, attached or within the primary residence. Most ADUs are converted from existing storage or garage space.
In the City of San Mateo, one ADU or JADU is allowed per parcel.
ADUs cannot be rented for less than 30 consecutive days.
No. The property owner must record a deed restriction with the city of San Mateo restricting the sale of an ADU from the primary dwelling.
The Accessory Dwelling Unit Code (Section 27.19 Articles 1 and 2) of the City of San Mateo Zoning Ordinance, establishes the development regulations and other criteria that must be met to construct any type of ADU/JADU. See: See ADU/JADU Requirements.
No, if the ADU meets exemptions from parking requirements (living within a ½ mile of transit stop, etc. SMMC 27.19.50 (k/5)). Remember, you can always contact the City Planning department to help your project conform to the SMMC code.
Yes. Any covered structure is counted as floor area (i.e. sheds, covered porches, etc.).
Yes, depending on the type of ADU. Please contact the SMC Fire Department at firstname.lastname@example.com or (650) 522-7900
Yes, for both ADU and JADU.
They are required for ADUs, but not JADUs.
Property taxes are assessed by the County of San Mateo Assessor's Office. Like other development projects in the City, the County collects information from the City when building permits are issued to a property. Please contact the County Assessor's Office for more information about how the information is used.
An unregistered ADU cannot be registered until it fulfills current ADU city standards in the SMCC code i.e. parking, setbacks, facility standards etc. Unregistered ADUs are subject to code enforcement.
Check with the Building Division to see if your property has past building permits for a garage. If none are found, you will need to conform to the SMMC Building and Planning code and then apply for a garage permit with the Building Division.
The City of San Mateo recommends using the Peninsula Builders Exchange Construction Finder or call 650-591-4486.